Blades of Resolve

Written by Scarredbyshallowness

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Devil May Cry or anything else that I use in my story.

Author Notes: I've sadly been slacking in the project department. But I defiantly wanted to say:

Thanks for all of the comments!

I recently did a quick edit of all of my chapters online. I made some alterations just to make the story flow a little better, but nothing really significant. One thing I did want to point out is that I have a really hard time defining the DMC universe. I mean, Dante has been a guest star in so many freakin' games it's hard to define what is his.

For example Dante has been in;

A) Devil May Cry 1-3 (and 4 obviously).

B) Viewtiful Joe (PS2 version as the 2nd playable character in the game).

C) Capcom Fighting Evolution (Jedah's ending. Dante appears to opposes the demon in the last frame of his ending movie).

D) Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne (As not only an important character in the game that actually hunts the demonic main character, but as one of the soul survivors of Armageddon. Yes. Dante CAN survive Armageddon).

E) SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighter DS (As a powerful character card no less).

F) His own Anime (Go to youtube and check out the trailer. The show is gonna be soooo sweet!)

In short, Dante is awesome. One of my all time favorite fictional characters. Lots of people love him. Put him in Super Smash Brothers and make us all very happy.

On with the Story!

Note: This story takes place after the Bounto Arc.

Chapter 9

Fight of the Failure

-Final Fantasy VIII World -

Balamba Garden rooftop

"Vergil, huh?" Squall questioned needlessly with a sharp breath. It had been awhile since he fought last. Pouring all of his focus on his new found target, he lightly pushed Rinoa away silently while clutching the leather hilt of his gunblade with an audible stretch of fabric.

His piercing eyes spoke for him.

This violator was NOT leaving alive.

"I don't care who you - ! "

A second.

Just a fraction of a second was all that passed.

Squall stared in terror as the tip of Vergil's katana briefly pierced the skin between his eyes. If that small remnant of his barrier hadn't been luckily before his eyes that exact moment the stab would of easily impaled his skull.

To make matters worse, Vergil's drawing speed was absolutely insane. Each slash was impossible to track. The only thing Squall could even track was the man's palm atop the hilt of his katana.

This could be bad…

"Save your breath." Vergil spoke with an unnerving bitterness in his tone. "Just die, filth."

"SHUT UP!" Squall roared, slicing his gunblade horizontally to Vergil's chest.

Ducking with ease, Vergil masterfully counter-swung his blade for Squall's kneecaps. Though the move would have easily sliced the hero's legs in two, a lucky, and rather frantic, leap in the air saved Squall by a mere sliver of fabric. Pulling his gunblade overhead with a light blue glow, Squall fell full force with his weapon aimed for the top of Vergil's skull.

Squall had done this move countless of times before. He had killed thousands of monsters and Heartless with this move alone. This should at least cut his -

"Phh." Vergil spat, simply grasping the sharp edge of the sword with his bare hand; Halting the strike and holding Squall in the air effortlessly.

Fear suddenly struck a chord down the young leader's spine.

"RINOA! GET OUT OF HERE!" he yelled with fury. If his strength was worth anything please, please, let it be enough to save her.

"Pathetic. This is the planet's best?" Vergil scoffed. What a pitiful territory.

With a pull of the trigger the gunblade's steel suddenly exploded with red hot fire. Though scorched Vergil's grip refused to give. With a hurried chant the airborne hero lifted his free hand to the stubborn demon commander's face, firing off a beam of subzero ice (blizzaraja) directly into his mug as he kicked his blade free from the man's hydraulic grasp. Cold hate blazed from Vergil's eyes as a thick sheet of ice frostily covered the majority of his face. Most notably his nose and mouth.

Skillfully manipulating his movements, and dodging more slashes from the enraged swordsman, Squall placed the same enchanted hand over Vergil's katana. Ice instantly formed over the metal weapon while mid-draw; trapping the demon's right hand to his blade.

"That ice blocking his airways should buy me some time." Squall thought to himself hurriedly, placing a gaze of worry over Rinoa's worsening injury. "Where ARE you CLOUD?" he screamed mentally, tactfully placing a growth spell over his gunblade: increasing the sword's size five fold (Yup. He did this in Kingdom Hearts.).

1 Mile Above

"Erh!" Cloud heaved as the jaws of the vicious demon dragon came clasping upon him in the crimson sky. The beast's razor sharp teeth tore through his cloak like rice paper; shredding the cloth off completely. Baring his back against the saliva-ridden roof of the dragon's mouth was all that prevented the beast's tongue from swallowing him whole.

"If I can just get my sword positioned correctly I …AHHHH!!" Cloud yelped in the piercing pain his left arm pulsed. "Geostigma…. Not now…"

The attacks were getting more severe. What started as a migraine and some muscle twitches had become so monstrously blinding that it felt like a knife was being lodged into his brain. There had even been times where he couldn't even control his own movements…

Thought-shattering pain loosened his grip.

A slip.

A clench of teeth.

A splash of blood.

-Bleach World -

Urahara's shop training area, Karakura Town

"That's IT!?!" Uryuu screamed aloud in disappointment from the massive underground space. With a completely perplexed Chad standing beside an obviously insulted Urahara, Ishida pointed toward the joke. "A door. A freakin' DOOR! How the HELL is this going to train us for a YEAR?!?"

"Such ignorance. You really disappoint me, Uryuu." Urahara frowned. To think he actually thought he might of found another intellect to discuss with…

"But…I can see the other side." Chad stated lightly with his heavy voice.

A logical person would really agree with the confused teens. What stood before them was a simple, white door. A door that stood in the middle of the room. Seemingly blocking, and doing, nothing at all.

"It's quite amazing really. It's all in the dimension. " Kisuke sighed before lightly tapping the bleach white door.

With a baffling move Yoruichi calmly stepped through the door. Drenched in sweat.

"Have a nice work out, my dear?" Kisuke smiled to his perfect example.

A satisfied, and exhausted, grin fulfilled his hopes. And then some.

"But- How- WHAT?" Uryuu's brain scrambled, trying to conceive what was just displayed before him.

Even though he could clearly see that both sides of the doorway, which was no thicker than a couple inches mind you, Yoruichi could be seen emerging from an unbelievably large room.

"This has to be one of your best experiments ever, Kisuke." Yoruichi yawned. " It brought my skills back up to when we left Soul Society the first time."

A heartfelt gaze between the two expressed the mutual memories the two had deeply cherished. Had it really been that long ago?

"And yet your beauty has only begun to blossom." Kisuke breathed. To him, she always looked better every time he saw her.

"Of course it has, Urahara." Yoruichi smiled sexily, strolling beside the green clad lover. "I've been a cat for a hundred years."

'-AHEM-' coughed the teens in hope of gaining Urahara's attention away from seductive walk of the departing woman.

"…Ah. I'll never tire of that view." Kisuke delightfully grinned to himself before finally remembering his audience. "Well, my young comrades, why don't we see your training quarters?"

In a line the two approached the closed door behind the coolly confident Urahara. Turning the knob slightly the door suddenly blazed with an encompassing white light.

"Right this way!" Kisuke grinned, happily waltzing his way in as Chad and Uyruu hesitantly followed.

"Wh--whoa…." Chad gasped beside a cringing Quincy.

White. A white room with three white beds, three white cabinets, a white fridge, white floors and ceiling supported by golden laced white columns. Even beyond the little house seemed to be an endless space of white.

"You like? I built this place myself." Urahara stated with quite satisfaction.

"How…where….what…" Ishida's mind fried once more.

"Before you give your brain a hernia, allow me to explain." Kisuke interrupted the boy's opening rant with several taps of his cane atop the Quincy's head. "Welcome to my personalized dimension. If you look to your right you will see what seems to be an endless white void of nothingness. If you would be so kind to take a step into it, Chad. This will be a key element in your training."

With a clueless, yet obedient, stride the giant stepped off of the balcony of the house into the so called 'void'. With a single placement of his foot the ground hummed to life; pulling and dragging Chad's muscular body to the ground to the point of hands and knees.

"What's going on, Urahara!" Chad demanded, amazed by the sheer amount of strain he had to endure just to stand to his feet.

"That, my friend, is thirty times the normal gravitational pull of earth. In fact, I have made it so you can alternate between 30 - 120 times normal gravity (Sound familiar?). I have very profound proof that this method increases ones strength quite absurdly."

"120 TIMES!?!? What kind of person could survive that!?" Ishida winced. Why does it always have to be about life or death with this guy?

"Even if you don't, I have a solution for that as well! Follow me." Urahara continued, guiding the two to the far left corner of the house.

Curiosity began to burn a hole through the back of the two teen's minds as they approached the newfound area blocked by a seemingly unnecessary white picket fence to reveal…

"A pool? How is this going to help? And what's the point of the fence?" Uryuu continued to gripe.

"It's never a 'cool' or 'yes sir' from you, Quincy. It becomes annoying you know? First; I like picket fences. That's all there is to that. Second; that's not water in that pool. Take a second look.

Inside the standard 6 foot deep, circular pool was some kind of liquid. However, it was much thicker than water. It resembled the thickness of mercury but not nearly as glossy. Feeling the liquid with his finger tips, Chad suddenly felt a warm spark of energy. Comforting, revitalizing energy.

"This, my young friends, is no ordinary liquid. It's a mass that recharges the human body of it's natural energy, nutrients, and water needs. All in five minutes." Urahara explained with a slight yawn.

"So we don't need to sleep or eat? Then what's the point of the fridge and beds?" Chad questioned with visible drop of sweat.

"Comradery. But that is beside the point. There is one more ability that just has to be seen to believe. Watch carefully." Kisuke spoke with an uneasy seriousness.

With the gaze of the two teens upon him he drew his blade, Benehime, from his cane. Stretching out his right arm while lightly biting down on his lip he slashed quickly and precisely; lobbing off a chunk of his forearm. Then, amongst the shock looks between Chad and Uryuu and flash of blood, he placed his injury into the 'special' water as the red liquid continued to drain from his wound.

Then, within seconds, the pool pulsed to life. Beginning to glow a similar shade of orange that resembled Orihime's healing shield, Urahara's arm reconstructed itself instantaneously.

"Good as new." he added with a tired grin. "I must give thanks to Orimhime the next time I see her. This power is mostly based off of her ability."

"This IS a great place to train." Chad spoke with a hint of a grin. Just the thought of the effects of a year of this was exciting. Maybe he could become stronger than Ichigo after all.

"One last thing you two should know before you begin. See that controller over there? The one that controls the gravity? It has one more, dangerous, ability." Urahara explained as he resheathed his sword with extreme profession. Some skills just stay with you forever. " That controller allows to create simulations of demons and hollows I have created for this dimension. I warn you now, these demons are based off of previous and historical data on them. How well they will relate to what we are actually up against will be a complete mystery."

"I think we can handle it, right Chad?" Uryuu grinned arrogantly, pulling a rather uniquely shaped bow from his luggage. In the shape of a web, the Ginrei Kojaku, the empowered quincy bow could fire 1200 shots consecutively. His arrows have even been upgraded to the Seele Schineider; arrows that can double as energy swords. (A/N: People who have red the manga will recongize this weapon. Non-readers, just use wikipedia.)

Though shiny and new his skill with the forementioned weapons was less than masterful. Quite less. While practicing in the woods he accidently implaed three squirrels just trying to figure out how to fire the confounded weapon.

"YEAH!" Chad yelled awkwardly, giving the Quincy a huge thumbs ups.

"Way to kill the mood, Chad." an embarrassed Ishida scoffed with a hand covering his eyes.

"Well, I leave you two to your work. I do wonder how much you two will improve." Urahara said while nonchalantly checking his watch. Making his way to the pure white door home he softly opened it while singing: " Happy Training!"

Karakura Town, Kurosaki Household

- 3 Days Until Armageddon -

3:23 am

"Today passed by so quickly. I wish I had more time to spend with everyone." Ichigo thought to himself, tossing and turning in bed futilely. Sleep was not coming to him tonight.

He spent all of yesterday with Tatsuki and Orihime right after school. To his surprise, it was actually really fun. Reminiscing about the joy of middle school and sparring sessions was great. Tatsuki never forgets that first fist she drove into his face when they first met. Unfortunately, Orihime took a silent role through out the night. This whole 'Geostigma' thing was hitting her really hard.

"Honestly, I don't know why it's not really effecting me. Maybe it just hasn't really sunk in yet. Maybe… 2 days left. What should I do? I want to do something with my family and definitely with Chad. And with…" Ichigo paused himself. "…Rukia. Does she even know about this?"

Just then he felt a presence near his window. A familiar spirit energy. In a rush, he threw himself out of bed to open his locked window. Was she finally back from Soul Society? Maybe she…No. Something wasn't right. This energy didn't feel like Rukia's. It was…

"Yo, Ichigo." Renji shouted, entering the opened window with a rather smug look on his face.

"Renji? What are you doing -" SLAM! Went Ichigo's back upon the carpeted floor driven by Abarai's clenched fist upon his tank top.

"I don't have time for sh-tty small talk. I just came here to have an important discussion with you." Renji harshly explained.

"Where's Rukia?"

"It's ABOUT Rukia, ya idiot!"

"Well then hurry up and tell me, moron!" Ichigo roared back. He didn't care if he woke his family up. No one talks to him like that.

"She…She's been exiled from Soul Society. " Renji stated regrettably, releasing his grip on the heated teen.

"WHAT? Why? If Byakuya is behind this I can beat his sorry a-"

"It WASN'T my Captain's fault! It's YOURS!"

"…mine?" Ichigo questioned with wide, lost, eyes.

"It's because the Captain Commander found out that you were a Vaizard! The Commander told Rukia to stay away from you and she…" Renji scoffed, balling his hand into a fist.

"They threw her in prison again?"

"No. She came to the living world with me. The Commander was kind enough to let her be here. With you. She's over at Inoue's house now."

"That isn't what you came here to talk about, is it Renji?" Ichigo sighed heavily. The way Renji said his name; He was holding a grudge. This was bound to happen.

"No. No it isn't. I came here to ask you one question. A question that could endanger your limbs if answered incorrectly." Renji gritted, grasping the handle of his sheathed blade.

"Then ask already. It's freakin' 3 in the morning." Ichigo scratched his head, completely unaffected by the death threat. He had heard it one too many times from the red-haired loud mouth.

"Do…Do you … love… her?" Renji choked with grit teeth. It was killing him just to ask the simple question.

"W-what?" Ichigo froze. Did he hear that right?

"You heard me, you little punk!" Abarai screamed, grasping a hold of Ichigo's collar once again. "Rukia! Do you love Rukia?! I need to know how you feel about her you f-cking pr-ck!"

Casting his gaze to the side, a slight blush over took Ichigo's face. He'd never really thought about it before. But taking a look back at all of past actions, along with his previous and current motivation, has always been…

"Yeah. I … I guess I do." Ichigo answered hesitantly. Simply put, she was his resolve.

"I knew it. Why else would you of come to Soul Society in the first place?" Abarai sighed, releasing his grip on both his sword and Ichigo's stretched shirt. "Protect her. Guard her with your life." Renji smiled to himself in reassurance. He called it the moment he saw the kid. "One last thing. The Captain Commander wanted me to give this to you." he suddenly remembered, handing Ichigo a tightly rolled up scroll.

Immediately opening and reading the degree, a look of dread suddenly overcame Kurosaki's face.

"This…this says that Karakura Town is no longer under Soul Society's PROTECTION!? 'From here on in the safety and protection of Karakura Town rest solely on it's residents'? WHAT IS THIS SH-T?!" Ichigo quoted in a roar at the top of his lungs. Thumps on his wall from his sisters' room proved that he had finally woken someone up.

"That's the Commander for you. Looks like this is that last time I'll be seeing you…unless you mess things up." Renji spoke as he shot a look of conniving malice to the ticked teenager.

"Renji…" Ichigo, looking to his side once more, spoke seriously. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Renji smiled back, placing himself in the window from wince he came. "Just promise me that you'll love her like I would."

"I promise." Ichigo stated with a slight chuckle. Yet another person who wants a commitment from him…

"Yeah. I knew you would."

And with that said, he was gone; just as fast as he had come.

"Soul Society…abandoned us?" Ichigo repeated to himself. It was just hard to believe.

Unbeknownst to the young substitute soul reaper the entire conversation had been heard, quite easily, through his doorway by another of Soul Society's exiles.

Former Captain of the 14th squad: Isshin Kurosaki

Downtown, Karakura Town

"-YAWN- !" Dante scratched an itch atop his head with his loaded gun as he groggily awoke from slumber atop the rather comfortable lamp post. Taking shifts to sleep was so stupid. He wanted to get his hands on as many demons as possible. And as much fun as it is watching Lady kill a pack of demons with a rocket launcher, two handguns, and several frag grenades; the wait was just pure boredom.

"Sleep well?" Lady asked nonchalantly as she shoved a grenade down the throat of a surveillance demon. Kicking the 'armed' beast into the a pack of newly spawn enemies; a single shot from her 9mm handgun pierced the planted explosive in an explosion of cleansing flames that eviscerated the entire group.

"Yeah. Yeah. Duck." Dante yawned, leaning forward himself to dodge an airborne demon kicked by his rather strong lady friend.

"I saw him but it's nice to know you care." Lady replied coolly, ducking from the warned swipe of a scythe wielded by one of the hell born critters. With deadly reflexes she spun her rocket launcher around her body; smacking the demon on the skull with the weapon's 170lbs of heavy weight with a CRACK! While stunned, Lady placed one of her handguns directly below the demon's jaw; ending it's short life with a pull of the trigger.

"You got this part of town covered. I'm going to head north a little. I wanted to talk to our contractor anyway."

"Liar. You just can't stand not fighting!" Lady grinned while easily dodging pathetic swipes from more surveillance demons.

"I have always been more of a player than a spectator." Dante grinned lightly, kicking a demon, that tried to sneak up on our dear devil hunter, in the face with his metal boot. With hands resting in his pockets he kneed the hell spawn in the gut, forcing the beast to bend downward. Snatching the demon's lowered head with both of his boots Dante twisted himself vertically; snapping the beast's neck completely in a 360 degree turn of death. Landing atop the silenced beast with the utmost percision he continued his walk of tedium.

"'kay. I'll meet up with you as soon as this area is swept up." Lady commented while firing duel semi-automatic pistols into the horde of twenty demons that appeared around her.

Walking away for the combat whilst humming a tune he had heard on the radio recently (A/N: The song is for your imagination.), Dante felt an odd presence following him. It wasn't a demon, but it was something threatening.

"My my. What a tasty soul you possess." A voice from behind the devil hunter crept.

Stopping and turning with a cocked head, the look on his face was something the stalker was not used to. It wasn't fear or denial. It was…annoyance.

"Oh. You must be one of those things that guy told me about. What are you called? A 'wallow'?" Dante cracked with cocky grin.

"Such defiance in the face of death. Most of my prey would be running by now." the hollow, being of 10 foot height and built of massive muscle, sneered through his teeth.

"Let's get one thing straight, dickhead." Dante clenched, stepping up to the hollow with zero fear in his step,a razor sharp leer in his eyes, and quite honestly, a frightening sense of superiority. " I'm the hunter. You're the prey."

"DIE!" the hollow roaredfrom his gut. Such cockiness. This human needed to be shown who-

"Shut the hell up!" Dante dominated, cracking the heel of his boot into it's jaw with a 180 degree front kick. Forgetting to control his strength for that instant made the hollow launch skyward. And man did it soar. It was rather hard to tell how high it really flew since the cracked mask made the pitiful beast disintegrate mid-flight but it was pretty darn hard to spot after 2 seconds. It definetly would of cleared the atmosphere. "Ugh. So boring."

-Final Fantasy VIII World -

Balamba Garden Rooftop

"SQUALL! We need to get out of here while we can!" Rinoa desperately pleaded. "You haven't seen what this man is capable of! He killed Zell, Quistis, and Seifer with just one attack! Please! Let's go while we can!"

"I'm sorry. I just can't let someone like this continue to live. I'll be the one to kill him." Squall spoke defiantly, walking away from the grasp of his injured love; His mind desperate to block the sorrow of loss that had just been brought to him "I will avenge them."

Dashing towards Vergils frozen disposition with a deadly fully charged Gunblade, Squall shouted the word he used only in the most dire of situations. A word he only used when he felt like he had no chance to win. No hope. Like right now.

"RENZOKUKEN!"

(A/N: This is Squall's limit break. Much like Cloud's 'Omnislash'.)

With an orange flare, in much contrast to Cloud's blue, Squall's speed increased significantly. With a heavy cleave, the hero cut a massive chunk of icy tissue from Vergil's frozen torso. Rechambering, Squall continued to slice and dice the still demonic commander to the point that both of his icy arms and legs had been cut off cleanly by the heated blade. Halting his assault, Squall turned away from his enemy as his energy died down to normal. With a final pull of the gunblade's trigger each and every slash delivered suddenly became ablaze with erupting fire; obliterating the block of subzero packed demon in a discharge of hellish proportions.

"This isn't right." Squall whispered to himself as his blade shrunk back to normalcy. Something was wrong. The unrelieved look of terror plaguing Rinoa's face was proof enough.

"How delightful." a voice suddenly spoke in an eerily calm manner to Squall. "To think that you could actually land some blows proves that there is some talent on this planet."

Turning lethargically, as if stuck in slow motion, to discover the voice's origin; horror struck Squall like lead pipe.

Not only had Vergil survived the attack his body was regenerating itself at a staggering rate; replacing all of his lost limbs and clothing as if nothing ever happened. He even boastfully removed the dirt off of his trench coat with a small brushes of the hand.

"I've changed my mind." Vergil spoke darkly, suddenly disappearing from sight. In an instant the cold steel of his sword pierced through both of Squall's forearms. Torturously twisting the metal to demolish the muscle fibers in both of his arms, Vergil continued to turn until he heard the submission of a forcefully dropped gunblade. Squall could no longer use his hands. Nor feel them. "I do want this territory."

Tossing Squall several feet with a punishing spin side kick to the face, Vergil displayed his true speed by zipping next to and past the airborne hero. Audiably clicking his katana's guard against his metal sheath, several orbs of bent air encompassed the air in front of Squall ( A/N: To those who have not played DMC3, Vergil can slash so fast that he can cause distortions in the air in the form of orbs. Each orb represents roughly ten slashes.).

Forcefully flying through the circular distortions, Squall blocked the assault as best as he could. The barrage of seemingly countless slashes from every conceivable angle cut his body deeply. Air was punctured from his lungs. A ribs cracked under the constant pressure of the assault. If only that shield he used for the fall hadn't been that last of his barrier magic…

As the pain finally came to an end, Squall lifelessly crashed against a metallic air vent with a blood drenched BWOONGG! Diligently trying to raise himself with his near useless arms, he shook with every ounce of added weight he added to the harassed limbs.

"Is this it? Is today the day I die…?" Squall calmly thought, heaving desperately for air. "Rinoa…" From the corner of his eye he could still catch a glimpse of her.

He could see her crawling, clawing, the ground to beg Vergil to stop his relentless attack.

"ENOUGH WOMAN!" Vergil gritted, turning to plunge his blade through her neck.

"No."

Rinoa. I have to save Rinoa.

His heart pulsed. Vergil raised his blade over head.

"NO!"

I said I would avenge those he killed. I said I would use every bit of strength I had to protect her.

As if to move with the rhythm of his heart, the demon plunged his weapon toward Squall's love.

I did not lie. I will NOT let her die!

"NO!" Squall screamed, using the last of his saved magic, lightingaga, through his severely damaged arms to electrocute the unstoppable swordsman.

Feeling the heat of the oncoming attack Vergil turned immediately, spinning his katana at a blinding speed. A speed so fast that it actually sucked in the lightning like a generator; further empowering the demon commander.

With electricity pulsing from his blade Vergil ran toward the persistent hero, at an insulting normal speed, increasing the depth of his roar with each approaching step. With every ounce of strength Squall had left he barely pulled himself out of the way of Vergil's electrically enhanced slash. His right eye, however, was not so lucky. The katana had pierced his cornea painfully. The intense amount of heat from the metal welded the skin over Squall's right eye shut instantly.

"I tried my best…Rinoa…" Squall mentally whipped himself as his body finally gave way to the punishment. His body dropped face forward. His heart skipped a beat.

"SQUALL!!!" Rinoa screamed at the top of her lungs at the site of her own personally nightmare.

"Nothing but a piece of trash." Vergil spat, slashing the air to remove the blood covering his sword, he sheathing his blade slowly. Placing a boot atop the back of Squall's skull he stated: "Mission Com-."

Sensing a strong pressence stopped Vergil in his tracks. Ducking the moment a massive sword swung for his torso, he miscalculated the speed of his opponent as a bloody fist cracked into his face with such force that it sent him to the ground.

"I know who you are." Vergil spoke with a certain bitterness that suited the moment. "This isn't your world, Cloud."

"Yeah, I know." Cloud replied. Blood dripped from his darkened left arm as his sword rested upon his shoulder; held by his right. His entire body was drenched in demon fluid. Though he really couldn't complain. The other method of escape from the demon was a lot less…graceful. "But this isn't your world either."

"How bold. Do you really believe you can stand up against me with only one useable arm?" the demon commander rose a brow. If Cloud wanted aid in commiting suicide, who was he to argue?

"Yeah. Guess I'm stubborn like that. " the blonde swordsman shrugged.

Leaping toward one another the fighters successfully blocked each others strike with a counter of clashing metal. Cloud went for a sideward slash the exact moment Vergil rose his katana to block; following it with a spinning side slash to Cloud's side. Narrowly avoid the tip of Vergil's sword with an arc of his back.

To Cloud's surprise this guy could keep up with him pretty well.

Maybe too well.

In blinding flurry of deadly motion the two combatants sepereated from their duel assault. Though with Cloud completely out of breath; the winner of the match was obvious.

"I appluad your excellent swordsmanship with such a large weapon." Vergil complimently darkly with the clap of his hands. "However, you are no where near my level."

Before Cloud had time to retort Vergil disappeared once more. Hearing several 'clicks' encircle him, Cloud found himself surrounded by the same deadly distortion orbs that had wrecked Squall's body.

Blocking the oncoming, nigh visible, slashes with quick cuts of his own, a small opening in the top of the circle of the death allowed Cloud a passage out. Unlike Squall, he could control his movements in the air quite well. Mainly because he could fly.

"D-mn this guy is good. To think fighting all of those Sephiroth clones would actually come in handy. I can't even use Omnislash with this bum left arm. " Strife cursed to himself mentally.

Seeing Rinoa, assumedly, lie next to heavily beaten Squall gave Cloud a rather risky rescue plan.

"Distraction. I need a distraction. "

Then, as if a message from above, a giant star-shaped weapon spun into the ground right before Vergil. In an explosion of blistering white light, Cloud's prayer was answered.

"AH!" Vergil yelled, shielding his eyes from the painful flare of light.

Attaching the buster blade to his back, Cloud flew over the two lovers; snatching them in his right arm.

"FEAR THE WRATH OF THE MASTER NINJA: YUF-IIIIEEE!!!" Yuffie announced from atop of the highest point of Balmba's rooftop…before being swooped up by Cloud.

"I owe you one, Yuffie."

"You owe me TWO! You totally ruined my enterance…" the little ninja pouted as she clung onto Cloud's limp left arm. Suddenly realizing who was occupying Cloud's other arm, Yuffie's eyes grew with fret. "OH MY GOD! What happened to Leon!?!"

"That guy you were trying to fight." Cloud frowned. If Vergil was only a commander, what kind of person ranked above him? The thought was frightening.

Never has boarding the hatch of the ship brought such refuge upon Cloud. Rinoa was safe. Squall was alive. Yuffie was stopped mid-mayhem. He could finally submit to the mind-numbing pain that his left arm brought. Pain so overwhelming that his consciousness was snatched in a second.

"Cloud? CLOUD! Leon! GIRL-I-DON'T-KNOW! Someone wake up and tell me what happened!" Yuffie begged to the KO'd trio with a cute little whine.

" I'll tell what you did! Y'all scared the living sh-t out of me! The next time the WHOLE CREW jumps ship, I'm leaving without y'all!" Cid scolded the children over the intercom as the ship hummed in preparation for space travel. Seriously. He felt like such an old man thanks to these dumba-s daredevils. With a heavy roar of the engines the ship accelerated toward the stars.

Seeing the last remnants of the Raganrok escape the atmosphere with heavily blurred vision, Vergil smashed a fist into the rooftop; cracking several layers of steel. To be a victim of such a simplistic trick was something that could not be forgiven. He was going to make these people pay.

Free Zone

Scar: Well, since Kon has been taken out this update…Again…I guess I'll just have to host this section solo. Oh, and the first person that wants to see Rinrin, Claude (the mod soul), or Nova (admittedly the best of the three) to be put here in Kon's place will be catapulted. To the sun.

Yachiru: Ooohhh! What's this place?

Scar: -Puts face in hands- …Oh God…

Yachiru: Who are you? You don't look like a soul reaper.

Scar: (Monotone) I'm the writer of this story. I'm not a soul reaper. In fact, I don't even know how you got in here.

Yachiru: Uh huh yeah whatever. Do you have any candy?

Scar: No. Leave. Please. You're not even IN my story!

Yachiru: (pouts) Aw… Meany. (Leaps onto Scar's shoulder) Not as big as Ken-chan's, but it's still pretty comfy up here.

Scar: …You're not going to move are you?

Yachiru: (shakes head) Nah ah.

Scar: And if I try to pull you off you'll rip my arm off, right?

Yachiru: Uh huh (grins evilly).

Scar: Can I do my rant then?

Yachiru: (shrugs) If you can do it.

Scar: (Sigh) You're as bad as Kon. Anyway, readers. The Demonic Ranking in BOR is as follows;

Satan

(Note: This is the order of command.)

Horseman of War

- ???????-

Horseman of Pestilence

- ????????-

Horseman of Death

- ???????-

Horseman of Famine

- ???????-

Demon Commanders

Vergil

-???????-

-???????-

Sephiroth Clones

Surveillance Demons

Dragon Demons

Rock Demons

-???????-

Armored Fighter Demons

Tower-tall Demons

-???????-

Scar: As the story goes on I will update this list. Well, I think that is about it for up -OW!!

Yachiru: (taking a bite into Scar's shoulder) Mmmmh! You taste a lot better than Ken-chan!

Scar: ….You are one creepy little girl. ...Uh...Please REVIEW and feed my need for feedback (positive preferred)! See ya next update!

Yachiru: (Kicks Scar's head. Plops to ground with rather heavy THUD!) Bye-bye!